Zaharia Cușnir: The Joy of Living | Blue Sky Gallery
Friends, 1964. Archival inkjet print, 20” x 20”.
Written by Madeline Lerner
Photo Edited by Lyz Rider
Picture yourself rummaging through your parents' attic, eagerly searching among forgotten belongings, yearning to stumble upon an item that reconnects you to your childhood or their past. Back in 2016, a film student was sifting through an attic in an abandoned home in Roșietici, Moldova, and found a treasure beyond his dreams. Hidden away for more than 50 years were thousands of negatives taken by local resident Zaharia Cușnir during the 1950s through the 1970s. These images take us on a trip back in time, to a remote Eastern European village that would not have otherwise been so meticulously documented. At the time that Cușnir took his photographs, the village had been part of the greater Soviet occupation of Bessarabia, and thus much of its individual culture was suppressed through propaganda. Cușnir’s work focuses on the people of the villages, featuring portraits as well as capturing villagers at social gatherings and at work. Taken together, they create a beautiful portrait of life in a rural village whose ancient history was contending with modern Soviet forces.
The village music ensemble, 1961. Archival inkjet print, 20” x 20”.
Blue Sky Gallery presents Zaharia Cușnir’s life’s works in “The Joy of Living.” Born in 1912, Cușnir was a school teacher and became Roșietici's first photographer when a relative gave him a camera in 1953. For decades, Cușnir ventured around the small town, creating a comprehensive documentation of a community.
Residents of all ages pose for the camera, from blacksmiths to newlyweds. Often photographed on the street, he masterfully captured brief moments in each subject’s daily life. This includes candid moments of cultural congregation, such as events like funerals. Within these frames, amidst weddings and candid moments, lies a compelling narrative of a vibrant, highly connected community and culture.
The milkmaid, 1957. Archival inkjet print, 20” x 20”.
There is an interesting lack of the technology one may expect of most towns in the 1950s-1970s. In fact, most images feel as though they may have been taken long before that period. This might be attributed to Roșietici's rural nature and the economic and political circumstances of that period. Cușnir's lens encapsulated the potential challenges faced by the region in its quest for modernization.
Two girls in black, 1958. Archival inkjet print, 20” x 20”.
It is rare that we get such a detailed portrayal of daily lives of regular people in small towns. Photography’s value lies in its ability to document the living. That value becomes truly important when shared with those who are unfamiliar with the lives documented. Cușnir immortalized the joy of life in a remote, otherwise unknown town, and made each character one we all can appreciate.
Grigory Dalisevski, 1959. Archival inkjet print, 20” x 20”.
After 50 years in hiding, we finally can appreciate Zaharia Cușnir’s eye for documenting a community’s vibrance and soul. See “The Joy of Living” at Blue Sky Gallery at the Oregon Center for Photographic Arts through December 30th.
